Pillow-tote bag device

• US 4,535,878 A
• Filed: 09/21/1984
• Issued: 08/20/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Norma S. Grahl
• Original Assignee: Norma S. Grahl
• Inventors: Grahl, Norma S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lowrance, George E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fidei, David
• Application Number:
  US06/653,087
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 190/1, 190/2, 190/8, 190/107, 190/109, 383/4, 383/37, 383/38, 5/434, 5/435, 5/436, 5/437, 5/442, 5/417
• US Class Current: 190/1
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 3/10 Beach-bags; Watertight beach-bags
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 9/00 Purses, Luggage or bags convertible into objects for other use sacks or packs carried on the body and convertible into other articles A45F4/02; trunk-wardrobes A47B61/06; trunk-beds A47C17/82
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/026 Supports for lying in a prone position A47C20/025 takes precedence

Abstract

A pillow-tote bag (A) is illustrated for use at the lake or beach for carrying accessory devices and for providing a face and head rest for a person either in a prone or a supine position. The bag device (A) includes a pillow panel (10) and a pocket panel (12). The pillow panel (10) advantageously includes a bifurcated pillow (B) having a first pillow cushion (20) and a second pillow cushion (22). The pillow cushions are bifurcated for access to an air mask (36) so that a person may breathe comfortably in a supine position. The bifurcated pillows may be joined together and the air mask closed to provide a cradle (48) and unitary pillows for supporting the head when a person is lying in a supine position. A spine member (16) maintains the bag device in a non-sagging configuration when used as a tote. Pockets (60) carried in the pocket panel (12) are maintained in a straight configuration due to the non-sagging configuration of the bag.

Claims

1. A pillow-tote bag device for use as a pillow and a tote comprising:

a pillow panel;

a pocket panel integral with said pillow panel;

a central casing extending across a width of said panels;

a generally rigid spine member received in said casing to provide a non-sagging configuration for said bag device;

an air mask carried by said pillow panel including an air opening formed in said pillow panel for breathing;

bifurcated pillow means carried by said pillow panel generally overlying said air mask;

said bifurcated pillow means including two separable generally rectangular pillow cushions carried on adjacent sides of said air mask having juxtaposed edges which are separable to provide access to said air mask for breathing and being closable to cover said air mask;

closure means carried by said juxtaposed edges for closing said separable pillow cushions along a length of said edges to form a head cradle sling connecting said pillow cushions together and resisting separation thereof to provide a continuous unitary head support for supporting a back head portion of a person lying in a supine position; and

said closure means being openable to separate said juxtaposed edges of said two pillow cushions along their length for providing access to said air mask when said person is lying in a prone position with his face supported on said bifurcated pillow means.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said air mask includes a mash screen of a generally rigid material covering said air opening.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said pillow panel is formed from a sheet of material, and said air mask includes an opening formed in said material and a mesh screen covering said opening in said material and maintaining said opening in said material in the form of an air opening for breathing through said pillow panel.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said bifurcated pillow means includes a first closure flap carried over a first of said separated pillow cushions along a juxtaposed edge thereof, a second closure flap carried over a second of said separated pillow cushions along a juxtaposed edge thereof, and a closure fastener for closing and fastening said first and second closure flaps and said bifurcated pillow cushions together to provide said unitary head support.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said closure flaps form a head receiving cradle sling over said air mask to cradle and receive said head to form said back head rest when said person is lying in said supine position on said pillow panel.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said pocket panel includes a plurality of article containing pockets in which separable articles may be contained and fastening means for closing said pockets to prevent the accidental loss of said articles from said pockets.

7. The device of claim 6 including attachment means fixing said pillow panel to an associated piece of furniture, said attachment means serving to fasten said pocket and pillow panels together to form a tote bag when said device is not being used as a pillow.

8. The device of claim 1 including a strap fixed to the ends of said generally rigid spine member by which said bag device may be carried with said pillow panel and pocket panels maintained in a generally non-sagging configuration in the form of a generally rectangular bag.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said closure means includes a first strip of Velcro fastening tape carried on one of said closure flaps and a second strip of Velcro fastening tape carried on the other of said closure flaps.

10. A pillow bag device comprising:

a pillow panel formed from a textile fabric;

a pair of bifurcated pillow cushions carried by said pillow panel;

an air mask carried by said pillow panel which includes an air opening formed in said panel and a mesh air mask screen carried across said opening to maintain said opening in an open condition for breathing through said panel, said bifurcated pillow cushions having juxtaposted edges being separable from one another for access to said air mask and breathing opening when a person is lying in a prone position with his face supported upon said pillow panel;

a first closure flap carried by a first of said pillow cushions along a juxtaposed edge of said first pillow cushion and a second closure flap carried by a second of said pillow cushions along a juxtaposed edge of said second pillow cushion;

closure means for joining together said closure flaps and juxtaposed of said pillow cushions to close said bifurcated pillow cushions and join said pillow cushions together; and

said closure flaps joining and fastening together to form a head receiving cradle and resist separation of said bifurcated pillow cushions to provide a unitary head support for the head of a person lying in a supine position.

11. The pillow bag device of claim 10 including a second panel secured integrally with said pillow panel and a generally rigid spine member carried between said panels to maintain said panels in a regular panel configuration and to form a generally non-sagging bag device.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein said pillow panel is formed from an absorbent toweling material.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein said second panel includes a plurality of pockets, a handle means carried by said spine member for carrying said bag device and said spine member being generally rigid so that said bag device is carried in a non-sagging configuration with said pockets held generally straight so that articles contained therein are prevented from falling out.

14. A pillow-tote bag device for use as a pollow and a tote comprising:

a generally regular pillow panel comprising a ply of material;

an air permeable mask formed in said ply of material forming an air opening for breathing through said panel;

bifurcated pillow means carried by said pillow panel including first and second juxtaposed edges having an open position in which the face of a person is supported by said bifurcated pillow means with free access for breathing through said air mask when lying in a prone position;

said bifurcated pillow means having a closed position in which said juxtaposed edges of said bifurcated pillow means covers said air mask and assist in supporting the head of a person lying in a supine position;

closure means carried by said bifurcated pillow means facilitating opening of said bifurcated pillow means in said open position and closing and fastening of said juxtaposed edges in said closed position.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said closure means includes a pair of flap closures carried by said bifurcated pillow means which include a closure fastener carried on adjacent opposing juxtaposed edges of said closure flaps which opens said flaps to provide said bifurcated pillow means and access to said air mask and closes said flaps to assist in providing said unitary head support in the form of a head cradle sling.

16. The device in claim 14 wherein said pillow panel is formed of a two-ply construction having a first ply of material and a second ply of material, an air hole formed in said first and second plies of material, and said air mask includes a generally rigid mesh plate carried between said plies of material in said pillow panel assisting in the formation of said openings.

17. The device in claim 15 wherein said bifurcated pillow means includes two separable pillow cushions which support the cheeks of a person'"'"'s face while he is lying in a prone position, said closure flaps being closed by said closure fasteners to resist separation of said cushions and form a head supporting cradle between said two pillow cushions facilitating support of said head when lying in a supine position.